Loyalties
by Gryvon
Summary: Kakashi/Iruka. Under Council orders, Kakashi must produce a heir to his bloodline.
1. Lineage

"I'm going to be a father."

Iruka lowered his teacup back to the saucer. A bit of tea sloshed over the side and onto his fingers as the cup rattled against the plate, hitting harder than he'd intended. He wiped his hand on his pants and shoved the saucer to the side, out of easy reach. "Pardon?"

Kakashi shifted on his feet in the entranceway. He hadn't lowered his mask, hadn't even taken off his shoes. He hovered just inside the door, which he had thankfully shut behind him. "I'm going to be a father."

'I'. Not you. Not we. Iruka's hands clenched underneath the table. He looked down at the polished surface of the table. The reflection staring back at him belonged to a stranger. He wanted to laugh or cry or scream. He didn't. "Who's the lucky lady?"

Kakashi took a step forward, his foot perched on the step up into the house. "Iruka, I... It's not like that. I don't know. I mean, I... she just..."

Iruka's stomach twisted. Kakashi continued talking. Iruka calculated which garbage can was closest.

"I don't know her. Didn't. I... It's something Tsunade-"

"Kakashi." The babble of excuses stopped. "Either come in or get out."

Kakashi froze. It was hard to tell his expression through the mask but he guessed it was somewhere between shocked and concerned. Kakashi stepped back and for a moment Iruka thought that was it. Kakashi was going to leave him, go off with the woman who was having his child, and have a family. Iruka couldn't really blame him. It's what Iruka would have wanted, if he hadn't fallen in love with Kakashi.

A minute passed in silence before Kakashi made a decision. He bent at the waist and unfastened his sandals, leaving them in a neat line near the door, before proceeding into the room. With one hand, he tugged down his mask, revealing a face that was twisted with remorse. Kakashi stepped quietly across the room to hover on the other side of the table.

"Do you want more?" He gestured towards Iruka's cup.

"No. Sit." Kakashi dropped to the floor, mirroring Iruka's position. "From the beginning."

Kakashi breathed deeply and started over in a much calmer tone. His visible eye was fixed on Iruka, watching for the slightest break in Iruka's mask. "Tsunade has been getting pressure from the Council about certain bloodlines dying out, a possible repeat of what happened to the Uchiha clan."

"Sasuke's not dead," Iruka corrected automatically.

A pained look crossed Kakashi's face. "He might as well be." Iruka couldn't find an argument for that. They both saw it as a failure in themselves as teachers, but the root of the problem went back before either had ever met the boy.

"The Council," Kakashi continued, "wants assurance that certain bloodlines, such as mine, will be continued. As I fall into one of the few who are not likely to produce an heir through normal methods due to..." His cheeks tinged slightly and he offered Iruka a very faint smile. "...orientation issues..." His smile faded, replaced by a dark grimace. "... the Council deemed it necessary that I be compelled to make alternative arrangements."

Iruka nodded. He felt outrage warring with betrayal inside of him, leaving him feeling numb. He didn't know what to say so he said nothing. Part of him had always expected it to come to this. Every person in the village knew how important the bloodlines were, and why they had to be maintained. He wished there was some way he could have fulfilled that need for Kakashi but it simply wasn't physically possible. They were both men. A relationship like theirs was never meant to last.

Kakashi's face fell. He leaned forward across the table. "I didn't want to. I only did it because I was ordered to. It was a mission. Just a mission, though an S rank one. I couldn't disobey."

"I understand." Iruka's voice cracked on the words. They were a sign of acceptance, but not forgiveness, and they both knew that. "Who is it?"

Kakashi's mouth flapped wordlessly for a moment as he searched for answers Iruka knew he couldn't give. Kakashi shook his head. "No one you know. No one I knew. I promise you, you'll never see her. As far as I'm concerned, she doesn't exist. They've taken her away from the village, hidden her somewhere. Only Tsunade knows where."

Rationally, he knew that was the best option, but part of him wanted to meet the woman, just once, just to see what kind of woman dared bare the child of his lover. "When did this happen?"

Kakashi finally looked away. "A month ago. Maybe less. I didn't know whether it took until today."

Iruka was quite glad he'd pushed the teacup away, otherwise it would have ended up in Kakashi's face. "A month?"

"I'm sorry."

"You've known for a month and you didn't tell me... you didn't even mention it." He felt rage building, finally overtaking the calm. "What, did you think I would say no?"

There was no remorse left in Kakashi's expression when he turned back, only steely certainty. "No. But I knew that if you had, I wouldn't have gone through with it, and I couldn't allow that."

Iruka's rage died in seconds as the full weight of Kakashi's words settled around him. They had been dating, off and on, for two years and only now did the measure of Kakashi's devotion finally settle on him. Iruka unclenched his hands and pressed them flat against the tabletop. There was nothing he could say in response to that, so instead he pushed himself up from the table and picked up his teacup.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

The tension drained from Kakashi's posture and he smiled faintly. "Thank you."

Iruka smiled back and he knew then that they were going to be okay.


	2. Taking Leave

There was a feeling of melancholy hanging over Iruka, even as Kakashi pressed against Iruka's back, his arms wrapped tight around Iruka. He'd been trying to ignore it all night, like he always did, his own minor form of resistance against the demands on Kakashi's time that took him away from the village. Not that he was against Kakashi leaving, not really. He knew how important Kakashi's missions were. Iruka was a ninja after all, and he was steadfast in his loyalty to the village. But, that didn't mean he had to like the amount of danger Kakashi's mission put him in or the fact that there was a good chance that this mission, that every mission, could be Kakashi's last.

Kakashi's arms briefly tightened around him. "You're thinking too loud."

A small smile slipped across Iruka's face. "Sorry."

Lips pressed against Iruka's shoulder. "I wish I could stay."

Iruka's smile widened slightly and he reached up to lace his fingers with Kakashi's. "Me too." He rubbed his thumb against Kakashi's fingers. "How long this time?"

"A month. Maybe more. I don't know. We're tracking someone who doesn't want found. It could take a while."

Iruka nodded, wishing he could ask more but knowing he shouldn't. Kakashi would tell him, if he asked. He shouldn't, it was a breach of mission security, but if Iruka asked Kakashi would tell him anything he wanted. Some days, Iruka was tempted. He wanted to know how far away Kakashi would be, how much danger he faced, if there was any way Iruka could help. But he didn't ask, because as much as they were both loyal to the village, they were also loyal to each other and Iruka knew that, given a choice between Iruka and the village, Kakashi would chose Iruka, any time.

He wasn't sure he deserved that level of devotion.

Lips traced along his bare shoulder. "You're thinking again," Kakashi said, his tone making it a playful accusation. He shifted, pulling his arm out from under Iruka and rolling them until Iruka was on his back. "Save the thinking until after I'm gone."

Iruka caressed the side of Kakashi's face. He never got tired of looking at Kakashi's face, at hidden features that only he got to see. Kakashi was smiling, a hint of mischievousness tingeing the grin as Kakashi's hands trailed over Iruka's hips. "I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow," Iruka warned.

"Walking is overrated." Kakashi leaned down and kissed Iruka softly on the lips.

"I like walking. How else am I going to get to class?" He slid his arms loosely around Kakashi's neck. His fingers played against the muscles in Kakashi's neck and shoulders, lightly massaging the knots of tension he found there.

Kakashi kissed him a second time, deeper, pushing his tongue into Iruka's mouth like he was trying to devour Iruka. The hands on Iruka's sides shifted, trailing down to Iruka's knees and lifting. Iruka let Kakashi maneuver their bodies into position. He was pliant under Kakashi's hands, easily giving way to whatever Kakashi wanted. He trusted Kakashi, and while he wasn't sure yet whether that trust was deep enough to match the level of devotion that Kakashi held for him, he knew that it could be and that frightened him.

Iruka watched as Kakashi pulled away to reach for the tube of lube lying next to the futon. His eyes followed Kakashi's hand as he slicked his cock and then shifted forward. Iruka lifted his hips slightly, giving Kakashi's hands room to slide under his ass and pull Iruka towards Kakashi.

"No thinking," Kakashi said as he slid his slick cock into Iruka in one long push. Iruka moaned loudly. He was still slightly sore from their previous round, but not enough that he would even think of asking Kakashi to stop. In a way, he liked it when Kakashi was this hard on him right before he went away on a mission. The soreness, hickeys, and bruises Kakashi left behind were like pieces of him that Iruka could hold on to, just for a few days, while the pain of Kakashi leaving was still fresh in his mind.

"No thinking," Kakashi repeated as he quickened his pace, shifting closer so that his thrusts pound inside of Iruka fast and hard. He was going to have bruises on his hips from Kakashi's hands, and on his shoulder from where Kakashi had bit him during their last round. Iruka clenched his fists in the bed sheets and let his head fall back, for now not caring how loud he was being.

There was a brief pause in the heavy rhythm as Kakashi reached up and flipped aside the eye patch that covered the Sharingan while he was in Iruka's apartment. Iruka felt his eyes draw briefly to the slowly swirling iris before a particularly hard thrust made him close his eyes and shout explicatives. There was something about being recorded that made Iruka feel everything just a little bit more. He blushed, feeling utterly self-conscious but he wouldn't deny Kakashi the chance to take part of Iruka with him.

The Sharingan stayed trained on him as Iruka came, arching up into Kakashi's thrusts and screaming his name. Kakashi's thrusts slowed after that, becoming more erratic and then stopping as Kakashi sighed softly. Iruka wound his fingers in Kakashi's hair and half-smiled, keeping his expression light. Unspoken words lay heavy in the air between them, words that Iruka wanted to say but never did, because if he asked, if he said "Don't go" then Kakashi would listen, and Iruka wasn't sure he wanted to take responsibility for that. Instead he smiled and kissed Kakashi softly and asked for the only other thing he wanted.

"Be safe."

Kakashi squeezed Iruka's hand. "I will."

They both pretended it wasn't a lie.


	3. Absence

The news came on Iruka's lunch break. He looked up from his desk as quiet descended on the Teacher's Lounge. One look at the uniform of the stranger standing in the doorway was all it took. Iruka's stomach plummeted. He felt cold, like the ice had cracked beneath him, sending him plummeting into freezing water. He set down his chopsticks and stood. Eyes followed him as he silently crossed the room. The sympathetic glances continued, all the way to the Hokage's office. He hadn't realized until now just how many people knew, despite Kakashi and Iruka's attempts to keep their relationship a secret.

Tsunade's face was ashen. She looked like she hadn't slept much. Iruka felt the same. Kakashi had been gone for three months on a mission that should have taken one, maybe two.

"Can I get you anything?" Shizune asked.

Iruka shook his head. With a nod to the Hokage, Shizune left and shut the door behind her, leaving Iruka and Tsunade alone in the room. Tsunade's eyes fixed on him. Iruka thought he saw a trace of sympathy behind her steely gaze.

"You and Kakashi were close."

It wasn't a question, but Iruka responded as if it had been. "Yes."

"How long?"

"Two years. Roughly." They'd been sleeping together for longer, but they'd only been officially together for a little over two years.

Tsunade nodded. She scribbled something on the top sheet of the file open in front of her. "What was your level of involvement?"

Iruka licked his lips as he considered how to answer. "Deep." That was the only way he could think to describe it without incriminating himself or Kakashi. He knew, on Kakashi's end at least, if not his own, that it went further than that. They were in love, so deep in love that they'd die for each other, would have broken the law for each other. He wasn't sure there was a word for that. Briefly, he wondered if that was why he was here.

"And his?"

"Deeper." The way Tsunade watched him left little doubt in Iruka's mind. She knew. It was possible that she understood Kakashi's devotion better than Iruka did. Part of him still wanted to deny it, to deny that there was any chance that Kakashi could be disloyal to the village, because if he admitted that to himself, if he acknowledged it, then he'd have to take the blame for it as well.

A faint hope sparked in his chest that maybe Kakashi had done something, maybe he had gone Missing and that was why he hadn't come back yet. Iruka felt bad for even thinking it. The last thing he wanted was for Kakashi to turn traitor, and he couldn't think of any reason at all for him to do so, but it was better than the other possibility staring him in the fact, a possibility that he didn't want to think about and yet he knew was the far more likely reason Iruka was here.

Iruka knew that Kakashi hadn't turned into a Missing-nin. He would have heard about it by now if Kakashi had. No, the real reason that Kakashi wasn't back yet was because he was either injured, captured, or dead, none of which Iruka wanted to think on too deeply.

Tsunade was watching him, closely, and Iruka wondered how much of his thoughts she'd gleaned from the expression on his face. "How much do you know about his last mission?"

"Not much." He wasn't supposed to know anything, and admitting that he knew something was also admitting that Kakashi had broken confidentiality to tell Iruka about the mission. "He was tracking someone. He was only supposed to be gone a month or two."

Tsunade nodded and made another note. She closed the file. "He was tracking a spy. Someone had broken into the Council records and stolen information about several of the ninja in our village. Kakashi's file was one of the ones taken. As was yours." Tsunade paused, her eyes once more fixed on Iruka. "Did he mention anything about this to you?"

Iruka quickly shook his head. Kakashi had mentioned before that he had a lot of enemies, enemies that would use Iruka and anyone else that Kakashi loved to get revenge. That was why they'd tried to keep their relationship secret. Not secret enough, apparently.

"Two weeks ago we lost contact with his team. We've sent ANBU out to search."

Iruka nodded again because he couldn't speak.

"Their last report stated that they'd found the spy and were investigating if he'd had any accomplices. Kakashi had been ordered to bring the spy back for questioning. He had refused."

"Am I in danger?" Iruka asked.

Tsunade's face was a hard mask. Silence stretched between them for several minutes. "I'll arrange for someone to cover the rest of your classes. Go home. Rest."

Iruka took that as both affirmation and dismissal. He stood, bowed, and turned to leave.

"Iruka." He paused with his hand on the doorknob. "Until further notice, you are not to leave the village for any reason. I've ordered extra patrols."

He nodded, though he doubted she could see it. The message hidden in the words was clear – we'll protect you as long as you're here. He only hoped they offered the same protection to Kakashi, assuming he was still alive.

"Thank you."

Tsunade said nothing as he left. The silence only made Kakashi's absence feel all the more ominous.


	4. Broken Leaf

"We found their bodies."

Iruka was vaguely aware of arms catching him, of Genma calling his name, and voices, many voices, swimming in and out of focus. Kakashi had been gone for five months. He had been missing for two months, and, according to reports, dead for three days by the time ANBU had found them. Officially, his mission had been extended. Unofficially, Kakashi and his team had ignored Tsunade's orders and followed their own leads. It had gotten them killed.

Somehow, Iruka had made it home. He knew it wasn't by his own power. One minute he'd been working in the mission room, the crowd parting as a pair of ANBU walked in the room and headed straight for Iruka. He'd thought they'd come to take him for interrogation, that Kakashi was finally being declared Missing-nin. Instead, they'd told him Kakashi was dead. Sometime between then and now, he'd ended up on his couch, a bloody hitae in his hand.

There were other people in the room. They came and left, empty voices that spoke around him, sometimes to him. He had no idea what they said. He never looked up to see who was there. He stared at the hitae, his fingers tracing the symbol etched on the metal, the sign of their village. Every now and then he caught snippets of conversations that he wasn't meant to hear. There would be a funeral. Their bodies were with the Hokage. Closed casket. Mutilated. Kakashi had been the worst.

Whoever had done this had been after Kakashi. It had been targeted, and he had no doubt that whoever had broken into the records room had killed Kakashi. He wanted to know what Kakashi had found, but it was probably better that he didn't. If he knew, if he had a target, then nothing would stop him until he killed the bastard who had killed Kakashi. The more likely outcome would be that he got himself killed instead.

He didn't even know where to start. He had no clue where Kakashi had been, or what the man he'd been tracking looked like. He didn't even know if the spy was a man. It could be anyone, and the fact that they'd gotten in in the first place, that they'd managed to break into Kakashi's records, past all the guards, meant there was a high likelihood that they could break in again, despite the heightened guard. That meant, that eventually, they might come after him. Kakashi had known that, which is likely why he hadn't returned when ordered. He'd died trying to protect Iruka.

Iruka wondered if the person who broke into Kakashi's record knew about Kakashi's child. If they did, then they likely knew more about the child than Iruka did. That thought was slightly galling. Iruka didn't even know if it was a boy or a girl. How old was it now? Maybe a year? A little less? At least now the Council could rest easy knowing that Kakashi's bloodline was secure. Iruka dropped the hitae and buried his face in his hands. He made no effort to stifle the tears that suddenly overwhelmed him. The voices stopped. The couch dipped next to Iruka and arms wrapped around him. He didn't know who it was but it didn't matter. Kakashi was gone.


	5. Guardian

It rained during the funeral. Iruka was glad, because it gave him an excuse for his cheeks to be wet. He felt like he hadn't stopped crying in days. Logically, he knew he should have been prepared for this. He'd expected news of Kakashi's death ever since he'd gone missing. But expecting it didn't make facing it any easier, and it certainly didn't stop him from feeling like he'd had his heart ripped out.

There were a lot of people at the funeral. More than Iruka had expected. It seemed like the entire village had turned out. Maybe it had. Iruka had gone to the funerals of the other two ninja on Kakashi's team, two jounin that Iruka had met only briefly – Tokune and Sagano – and they hadn't had nearly this big of a turn out. The large crowd only made the faces that were missing that more conspicuous. Sasuke was still missing, and Naruto was still training with Jiraiya.

Genma was his shadow for the entire day. He'd arrived to escort Iruka, had stood by him offering silent support throughout the entire funeral and the hour afterwards as people had offered Iruka their condolences. It was comforting having someone nearby and he knew Genma was doing it because he was Iruka's friend, but part of Iruka resented his presence because he knew what it really was. Genma was part of Iruka's guard detail, the constant flow of people watching over him because there was still a chance that whoever killed Kakashi would come after him.

If the guard wasn't there, Iruka probably would have left the village by now. He would have snuck out the gates and gone off to find the man that had killed Kakashi, not because he expected to win, but because he wanted to die and if he was going to die he at least wanted to die by the same hand that killed Kakashi, just so he could know who had done it. Iruka suspected that was why his guard stayed close. They were guarding him from himself, as well as outside threats.

There was an ANBU waiting on the porch when Iruka got home. Genma looked surprised. Iruka didn't have the energy left to care. The masked man held the door open for Iruka and signaled for Genma to wait outside. He found the Hokage seated inside with Shizune in a chair next to her. There was a small child held awkwardly in Shizune's arms. Iruka's first instinct was to reach over and correct her, to show her the proper way to hold a baby. He kept his arms still and stopped at the far end of the couch.

"Sit down," Tsunade ordered.

Iruka stepped sideways and sank into the chair opposite Shizune's.

"This is Manami." Iruka's breath caught in his throat and he stared at the child. "Hatake Manami. Written with the characters for 'love' and 'sea'."

Kakashi's child was a girl. A cute girl, and Iruka wasn't sure how he felt about her. He wanted to resent her existence but she was just a child. She had nothing to do with the reason why she was created. He wondered if her mother had been at Kakashi's funeral, if that was why Tsunade had brought the child here, for Iruka to meet.

The Hokage slid a piece of paper across the table towards Iruka. "Her mother is dead. Murdered, like Kakashi."

Iruka stared at the form. It was a request for legal guardianship, filled out with Iruka's information. "I don't understand."

Another piece of paper joined the other in front of Iruka. This one was completely filled out, with Kakashi's signature at the bottom, dated nearly a year ago. "Kakashi had arranged that all of his holdings and possessions be transferred to you in the event of his death. That includes custody of his daughter."

He opened his mouth, then closed it. Tsunade is waiting for him to say something, but he's not really sure what to say. "Kakashi never told me... I... I mean, I never knew..." Tsunade watches him, still silent. "What do you want from me?"

Tsunade nods towards the form. "It's your choice. All you have to do is sign and the child is yours." She paused, giving him a moment to take it all in. The sheer weight of responsibility she was asking of him felt like it would crush him. "There's also the matter of his old apartment, and the Hatake compound, but we can discuss those later. If you chose to decline custody, she'll be assigned a guardian that's unaware of her origin, at least until the child is old enough to protect itself. I know we're asking a lot from you, and caring for the child will only increase the amount of danger you're in."

He stared at the papers. If he signed, his life would be forever changed. He couldn't take the child in and not care about her. In time, Manami would become as important to him as Naruto was. She would be the second orphan that he had adopted. But, every time he looked at her, he'd see Kakashi. She'd be a constant reminder of his loss.

"It's what Kakashi wanted."

Tsunade's words cut through him. It was a harsh blow, but he understood why she'd said it. Kakashi would have wanted his daughter to be part of Iruka's life.

"Alright."

Tsunade handed him a pen. It felt like he was signing a death warrant. Kakashi was dead, and Manami's mother. Whoever did it would be coming after Iruka next. No matter what happened, he'd make sure Manami survived. He owed Kakashi at least that much.


	6. Legacy

The halls of the Hatake compound were dark and dusty. The entire complex was in need of repair, from the creaky hinges on the front gate to the overgrown wilds that had once been a private garden. A thick layer of dust covered everything. As Iruka wandered through the empty halls, he left a trail of footprints that would have any self-respecting ninja twitching at how exposed they left him. He couldn't really bring himself to care.

Part of him wanted to close up the compound, seal it away and let Manami deal with it when she was older. She'd never met her father, as far as Iruka was aware. It wouldn't have the same level of intimacy. It hurt just being here. The dark, empty halls were a reflection of how he felt – abandoned, hollow, decaying. Without context, everything made him think of Kakashi. Was this the bedroom he used? Had he played in this room as a child? Did he train in the garden or was there a dojo waiting hidden in the vast sprawl of unexplored rooms.

He wasn't going to abandon the compound, just like he wasn't going to let anyone else have custody of Manami. She and this house were all he had left. They were Kakashi's legacy, and he'd do anything, everything possible, just to keep them close to him, to keep them safe and protected, even if he couldn't protect himself.

He still needed to go through Kakashi's apartment. It was paid for until the end of the year but it felt strange letting it sit when Kakashi was never coming back. At least he had plenty of time on his hands. Tsunade had yet to fully reinstate him. She called it an adjustment period, giving him time to get used to caring for Manami and the loss of Kakashi, but he knew what it really was. They were waiting to see if he broke. They were waiting to see if he died.

Kurenai was watching Manami. She understood what it was like for him.

Iruka closed his eyes and fell backwards onto a large four-post bed. A cloud of dust filled the air. He held his breath and counted to twenty. His lungs burnt with lack of oxygen. He wasn't sure whose bedroom this had been. It wasn't far off the kitchen so he presumed it had been used by someone in the family, probably Kakashi's parents. He opened his eyes and stared up at the wooden ceiling. Like the rest of the complex, the room was sparse and unadorned, completely lacking in personalization. It was a huge difference from what Iruka had growing up but in a way it fit Kakashi, or at least explained him a bit.

Iruka let his eyes drift shut again. The house was quiet. It should feel eerie being here alone. It didn't. Instead he felt like he was enveloped in Kakashi's presence. With his eyes closed, it was hard not to pretend that Kakashi was still with him, that he was just away on a long, secretive mission, that he hadn't really died at all. He'd heard once that ghosts were memories of people, preserved in time and space by lingering chakra. If that was the case, then maybe part of Kakashi was still here, some lingering part of his soul still clinging to the halls of his ancestral home, his energy worked into the walls by years of occupancy.

No, he wouldn't close the compound. He couldn't. If he did, then Kakashi would be truly gone and he didn't want that. He could clean up the place, make it habitable again. He could move all of Kakashi's things here, maybe even bring Manami and live here. It would be fitting for her to grow up in the same house her father did.

Iruka sat up. His clothes were covered in dirt but he didn't care. He had a lot of work ahead of him.


	7. Rumors

The rumors began eight months after Kakashi disappeared. At first it was just vague, unconnected stories – tales of enemy nin going missing before Konoha ninja could attack, of bodies with scorch marks that weren't from fire, of ghosts in the forest. Iruka had dismissed the stories, like he did with all the wild tales that the Konoha shinobi brought back with them after their missions. The villagers were known to be superstitious and ninja were prone to make things up, usually involving exaggerations of their own physical prowess or enhancements to their latest encounters to make their missions seem more harrowing. It wasn't anything abnormal.

Iruka had enough worries to keep him busy without adding in half-heard stories. He had his classes to teach, a child to look after, the constant rotation of guards and babysitters, repairing the Hatake compound, and his imminent move. He had the loss of Kakashi and all the nightmare-filled nights that came with it. He had the constant grief that had yet to disappear, though it had faded slightly. He wasn't sure if it'd ever entirely go away.

Despite, or perhaps in spite of the constant guard on him and Manami, nothing had happened to either of them. There hadn't even been the faintest attempts, though his guards had scared the crap out of the shopkeeper that had been unfortunate enough to trip into Iruka. He was starting to wonder how much longer the protection detail would be kept on them. With the loss of Kakashi, who had arguably been one of the most famous and feared ninja in all of the hidden villages, Konoha needed to put its strongest show of force out in the field so that their village didn't seem weak.

He was starting to wonder if he'd ever been in danger at all. With Kakashi gone, there was no reason for anyone to go after Iruka. He was the bait for a trap that had already sprung.

Days turned into weeks. He measured time by his course syllabus and by sections of the compound left to repair. Final exams would be coming up in not too long. He felt like he'd barely made any progress on the house though the front section of rooms was at least livable. It was far too much space for him and Manami alone.

The rumors grew. People speculated about why only certain enemies would disappear and not others. Conspiracy theories grew up around the tenuous connections between the dead and missing ninja. There was talk of patterns in the killings, of signatures left near the bodies. The techniques used to kill the enemy ninja was analyzed over and over again. Some said it was a rogue ANBU squad. Some said it was a young kid trying to prove his prowess. Some said it was ninja from the other villages, trying to eliminate the competition. Lists were made of teams of people who could be responsible. None of the names matched up. None of them seemed to fit quite right.

The villagers said there was a spirit moving through the forest. It had grown tired of the constant war and risen up to protect the village.

Soon the rumors spread so that everyone was talking about them. Iruka had to pull his class back on track at least once a day. He couldn't escape it in the mission room. It was worst every time a new body was found in the forest.

Through all the rumors there was a single name that kept coming up, whispered in hushed tones when people thought he wasn't listening. Even the children knew better than to say that name in his presence. He'd catch people giving him pitying looks. He wondered if all widows went through this kind of torment.

The rumors were driving him mad.

A hush fell over Ichiraku's as soon as he walked through the door. He crossed the room in silence while people cast him nervous looks. Genma sat alone in a booth along the far wall. He didn't look up as Iruka dropped into the seat opposite him. After a few seconds, conversation started back up again but there was a forced edge to it. For a bunch of trained ninja, the residents of Konoha were really bad at hiding things sometimes.

"Tell me," Iruka demanded.

Genma glanced up at him and then went back to his soup. "You don't want me to."

"Tell. Me." He bit the words out.

"No."

"Yes."

"Fine." Genma sighed and put down his spoon. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Iruka leaned back in the booth and crossed his arms.

Genma stared at the table, refusing to meet Iruka's gaze. "This is all rumor. I've yet to find anyone who's seen anything concrete besides dead bodies, but someone out there is making the biggest run on the Bingo Book ever. All of Kakashi's old enemies are getting picked off, every last one of them, and the ones that aren't dead yet have gone into hiding."

Part of Iruka wished he was out there helping whoever it was that was getting revenge for Kakashi, but his duties to the village kept him here. That, and his constant guard.

"Who are they saying is responsible?"

Genma fiddled with his chopsticks. "It's not so much a who but a what."

He wanted Genma to stop. Dread washed over Iruka. He wanted to throw his hands over his ears and pretend he'd never asked. But it was too late to turn back.

"They say it's Kakashi's ghost, taking revenge."

Iruka's stomach fell. He was fairly certain he'd turned white. From the way Genma was looking at him, he had.

"Iruka?"

He raised a hand. Words were beyond him at the moment. Genma left him alone.

Kakashi was still out there. His body had been returned to the village – his ashes were on Iruka's mantle – but part of him was still out there, lost in the woods.

He couldn't leave Kakashi alone out there.

Iruka stood. Genma grabbed his arm. "It's just a rumor, Iruka. He's not really out there."

"I know." He forced a smile in order to reassure Genma. It came out more sad than happy, like all of his smiles of late. "Don't worry. I know better than to listen to rumors."

There was someone out there. That was why he hadn't been attacked. Someone or something was keeping the threats away from the village. Kakashi was dead. He needed to know if it was really Kakashi's ghost out there or if someone was using Kakashi's death as a cover.

Whoever it was, they were going to answer to Iruka.


	8. Ghosts

Iruka's heart hammered in his chest. He was insane to even try this. There was no way he was going to make it past his ANBU guard, let alone past all the guards on the gate. That didn't stop him from trying.

Kurenai smiled at him as he dropped off Manami for the day. They chatted briefly about the repairs to the Hatake compound. He told her about the old furniture he'd found and his plan to work on refinishing some of it today. He kept a small smile on his face as he walked towards the compound. His hands were buried in his pockets, fingers curled around the smoke bombs concealed there. He waited until he reached the busiest part of the market before letting the balls scatter.

Smoke filled the street. People shouted. They started shoving. He could sense the ANBU that had been trailing him closing in. His fingers flashed through seals and he dodged quickly to the side. The smoke from two simultaneous transformations was lost in the covering smoke. He watched from the side of a nearby building as the two ANBU snatched his clone from the chaos. The clone would go to the Hatake compound in his place and work on furniture for a few hours before disappearing at sundown. He'd hopefully be long gone by then, assuming the second part of his plan went as well as the first.

He hated dumping Manami on Kurenai but he had to find out what was going on.

Iruka waited until the smoke had cleared before stepping back into the crowd, this time heading in the opposite direction. People ignored Iruka as he passed. He'd transformed to look like a nondescript chuunin. The guards at the gate gave him a cursory glance but didn't try to stop him.

It was almost too easy.

He waited until he was a good mile beyond the village before dropping his disguise. He ran as fast as he could, jumping from branch to branch at a breakneck pace. The latest rumors had mentioned the ghost being spotted a day's travel to the north. He had provisions stored in a scroll to last him a week and enough money hidden on his person for another two weeks beyond that.

None of it would be necessary.

He realized he was being followed seconds before the tree he'd just jumped from exploded. Iruka kicked off from the next tree, changing his route seconds before that branch exploded as well. He twisted midair and flung a spray of senbon towards the vague location he sensed his attacker. The senbon clattered to the forest floor as they hit something metallic. Someone laughed. Their voice was deep, like the booming of a landslide.

"Umino Iruka."

He dropped to the ground in a fighting stance and spun a full circle. The woods seemed empty. "Show yourself, coward."

Another laugh. Iruka spun to his right. The ground shook as a giant hulk of a man stepped out from the trees. He wore metal patchwork armor, barely more than a scattering of small metal plates sewn over strategic points in his clothing. "You were Hatake Kakashi's lover?"

Iruka nodded slowly. He reached for a kunai.

"I wonder how tough his lover is. Him? Not so tough."

Fear prickled along Iruka's spine. He wanted to run but he knew it wouldn't do any good. It would only delay the inevitable, and tire him out in the process. "You killed him."

The man smiled. "Was easy. Like I said, not so tough."

Iruka's vision went red. He screamed, a wordless, inarticulate scream of pure rage. Leaves shook on the trees. He could feel his chakra welling up like a geyser erupting. His skin itched from the raw power pooling beneath his skin. His fingers moved on their own. The man laughed as he batted aside a kunai aimed for his head, then stopped laughing as the second kunai exploded against his arm. All trace of humor disappeared from the man's face as he narrowly dodged a barrage of a dozen spear-like branches that filled the spot he'd been standing in like a wooden pincushion. The man roared as he tore up a branch and swung at Iruka's chest.

He didn't even try to dodge. Iruka wrapped his arms around the branch and slid with the impact. His chakra flowed through the branch and it shattered, splinters burying themselves in the enemy nin. The man howled. Iruka leapt out of the way of a wild swing. He ran partway up a tree, turned, and bellowed, sending a plume of fire at his foe. The man slammed his fists together, creating a torrent of wind that blew the fire back towards Iruka.

He spun and dodged a circle around the man, evading the majority of his attacks. Iruka's chest was numb. He spit out blood. The rage-fueled energy inside of him was rapidly being used up. He could feel his reserves draining. As soon as the circle was complete, he jumped clear. A deafening explosion rocked the forest, loud enough that anyone in Konoha would hear. He didn't stop. He hit the ground and dropped, slamming his palms against the dirt. Two slabs of rock rose up and leveled the area. Dust filled the air. Iruka stayed frozen in place, waiting. His vision swam but he forced himself to stay awake.

The rubble moved. A few pebbles scattered and then larger chunks of rock were thrown off as the man stood. He was dirty, singed, bruised, and bloody. He was also quite pissed off. He glared at Iruka with a look of pure murder.

Iruka was going to die.

He swayed as he tried to stand, stumbled, and fell back to his knees.

Wind blew across Iruka as two masked ANBU landed in between Iruka and his attacker. The man took a step forward and then stopped. A strange look crossed his face. The man looked down. Iruka followed his gaze. There was a glowing hole in the center of the man's chest. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. The man toppled, revealing a thinner man with spikey white hair standing behind him on top of the rubble.

Kakashi waved. "Yo."

Iruka pushed off of the ground. He brushed off the ANBU's hands as they tried to steady him and marched past them. He stepped over the enemy nin's corpse and punched Kakashi square in the jaw. His fist connected with solid flesh. Kakashi looked surprised.

Then, Iruka passed out.


	9. Return

Iruka hated hospitals. He had a lot of bad associations with hospitals but the enforced idleness was the worst. He wanted to be up and doing things, or in the current case, up and beating his beloved senseless, but the nurse was being rather slow in discharging him. She kept talking, saying something about chakra depletion and broken ribs and resting but Iruka was too busy glaring over her shoulder to pay attention.

Kakashi smiled wanly and hid behind the admissions desk. Tsunade sighed, rolled her eyes, and kept talking at Kakashi. From the tone of her voice, she'd already taken care of part of the yelling Iruka wanted to do. He'd repeat it anyways, just to make sure it sank through Kakashi's thick skull.

He wasn't sure how long they'd been back in the village. He'd woken up about an hour ago. Kakashi had been hovering in the vicinity the entire time, apparently in the midst of a debriefing from Tsunade who looked about as put out as Iruka felt. At least that meant she had been as much in the dark as he'd been. He wasn't sure what he'd done if Tsunade had known and not told him. Other ninja kept coming by to verify Kakashi's return, but most took one look at Iruka and quickly disappeared.

"You're free to go."

Iruka hopped off the bed. The movement hurt, particularly in his chest, but he was angry enough that he could ignore the pain. There was a whimper from behind the desk. Tsunade and the crowd of gawking ninja took one look at Iruka and backed away.

"I'm borrowing this." His fingers closed around Kakashi's jacket. He kept walking.

Tsunade waved Iruka on with a ruthless grin.

He ignored the brief chocking noises from behind him. Kakashi quickly scrambled to his feet. People stared as they passed. Dead silence filled the streets. He was glad Manami was still with Kurenai. One less thing to worry about right now. He slammed open the door to his apartment and shoved Kakashi against the wall as he kicked the door shut.

"What. The. Hell."

Kakashi raised his hands defensively in front of him. His grin was shaky. He shrank against the wall. "Iruka, love..."

"Details." He bit the word out between clenched teeth.

Kakashi straightened slightly and scratched the back of his head. "You were in danger." Iruka arched an eyebrow. His fists clenched in the fabric of Kakashi's jacket. "It's a long story."

He let go of Kakashi and pointed towards the living room. "Sit."

Kakashi slid along the wall past Iruka and obediently sat on the couch. He shifted nervously and patted the cushion next to him. Iruka stayed standing and crossed his arms. His head hurt. It was slightly hard to breath. He compromised by leaning against a large plush chair.

"Dega – that's the big oaf from the woods – he broke in and stole our personal records. He was after me, and you since you're connected to me. Tsunade didn't have enough information to go on. She sent our team out to track down whoever had stolen the information, but she wanted to call us back in too soon. So I devised a plan to make him drop his guard so I could get to him."

"Ten months."

Kakashi looked at the floor. "He was hiding." His voice was petulant like Iruka's youngest students.

"Took me under two hours."

Kakashi shifted. "He was waiting for you."

"Ten months."

Kakashi pouted at him. "I'm sorry. You can punch me again if it makes you feel better. But I did what I thought was best to protect you. I couldn't stay in Konoha. It would only put you in danger and I wouldn't have had the freedom to take out all the threats. But you're safe now."

"You realize that you were technically a missing nin?"

Kakashi didn't hesitate. "I did it for you."

The anger drained out of Iruka, leaving him feeling exhausted. He crossed the room and dropped onto the couch. His head fell on Kakashi's shoulder.

"I missed you."

Strong arms wrapped around him as he started to shake. All of the tears that he'd held in for the past ten months came pouring out, turning him into a sobbing wreck. Kakashi stroked Iruka's hair. He kept apologizing, over and over again, his voice low and soothing. Iruka didn't move, even when the tears ran out.

"I won't do that to you ever again. I promise."

"Liar." One day Kakashi would die for real. He wouldn't get another second chance. Iruka sat up and forced a smile. He took Kakashi's hand. His body protested as he stood. "We should go."

Kakashi looked up at him. "Go?"

Iruka smiled, and this time there was no sadness in it. "To get your daughter."


End file.
